Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

Not too keen on nuts, but nothing but chocolate beats caramel. :)

Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
6 T butter, melted
1 14 oz package caramels
1 5 oz can evaporated milk
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips melted, slightly cooled
Caramel ice cream topping
Whipped cream

• Preheat oven to 350*F
• In medium bowl combine crushed wafers and butter
• Press into bottom and about 2 inches up the side of a 9 in spring form pan
• Bake for 10 minutes, cool
• In medium saucepan, combine caramels and evaporated milk
• stir over low heat until smooth, pour into crust
• Sprinkle with pecans, chill
• In large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla
• Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until combined
• Add eggs all at once, beat on low speed just until combined
• Stir in melted chocolate,
• pour mix over caramel
• bake for about 40 minutes or until nearly set,
• Cool on Wire rack for 15 minutes,
• Loosen crust from side of pan. cool
• Cover and chill, 12 hrs at least
• Remove sides before serving
• let stand at room temp for 20-25 minutes before serving with caramel sauce and whipped cream and chopped pecans, if desired

Grilled Portobello and Roasted Garlic Cheesecake

Grilled Portobello and Roasted Garlic Cheesecake

1 (9-inch) disk focaccia bread
2 large portobello mushrooms
1 tomato, sliced
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened
3 large eggs1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves, see below
1 cup balsamic vinegar,

optional toppings:
Toasted pine nuts,
Chopped basil,
Grated fresh parmesan cheese,

• Roast garlic. Remove skins from 2-3 heads of garlic (enough to make 1/2 cup) and wrap cloves in tinfoil.
• Place in a 375 degrees F oven.
• Bake about 45 minutes.
• Remove when golden brown and smash into a paste. Set aside until ready to use.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush focaccia with olive oil; season. Bake until crisp. Don’t turn off oven. Place in bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Heat grill.
  Slice portobellos from top to bottom.
• Brush with olive oil, season and grill.
• Place on inner rim of pan.
• Beat cream cheese with salt until smooth; add eggs and blend.
• In separate bowl, whisk sour cream and cornstarch.
• Add to cheese mixture; fold well.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Fold in garlic.
• Fill pan until 1/4 inch from top.
• Rap to knock out bubbles.
• Top with sliced tomato.
• Bake at 350 degrees F until firm, about 25 minutes.
• Optional: Drizzle with balsamic vinegar syrup. Garnish plate with toasted pine nuts, chopped basil and grated parmesan cheese.
  

For balsamic vinegar syrup, place 1 cup balsamic vinegar in pot over high heat and cook until it reduces to the consistency of a fairly thick syrup, about 15 minutes.
Yield: Serves 12

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake


CRUST:
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup crispy crushed gingersnaps
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon


FILLING:
1 cup whipping cream, un-whipped
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger powder
3/8 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup pecan halves

• 
  Set oven to 350 degrees (300 degrees for convection-bake oven).


• Prepare a 10-inch spring form pan.


• To make the crust; in a bowl place the melted butter with graham cracker crumbs, crushed gingersnaps, brown sugar and cinnamon; mix with a fork until combined.


• Line bottom and side with parchment paper or wax paper, then spray with nonstick spray.


• Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan.


• For the filling; pour the whipping cream into a medium bowl and beat just until soft peaks form; refrigerate until ready to use.


• In a bowl beat the cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add in sugar, beating well until combined.


• Add in eggs one at a time and beat the mixture until fluffy.


• Stir in pumpkin puree, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.


• Remove the whipped cream from the refrigerator and lightly whisk to re blend.


• Using a spatula or a flat spoon fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese-pumpkin mixture.


• Pour the mixture into prepared crust.


• Wrap one continuous sheet of heavy foil around the spring form pan then press firmly against the pan.


• Place the wrapped pan in a baking pan and fill with hot water to halfway up the spring form pan.


• Bake for 60-70 minutes.


• Cool the cheesecake to room temperature, then chill for at least 5 hours or until the cake is thoroughly chilled.


• Remove the sides of the spring form pan.


• Just before serving place the pecan halves on top of the cheesecake in a ring around the edges.
  

Country Vegetable Cheesecake

This one is in protest to the tomato Salmonella scare. I have yet to see the prices of tomatoes drop, even though it wasn't the tomatoes after all!

Country Vegetable Cheesecake

3 cups packed coarsely grated zucchini
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup coarsely grated carrots
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon dried whole basil
1/2 teaspoon dried whole oregano
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups ricotta cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, dividedS
alt and freshly-ground pepper to taste1
/3 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs, divided
4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, drained and rolled (optional)

• Combine zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir well. Let stand 15 minutes; drain.
• Roll zucchini in paper towels to squeeze out excess moisture; place in a bowl, and set aside.
• Combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion, and butter in a large skillet; saute 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add zucchini, carrots, flour, garlic, basil and oregano.
• Cook over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat; add parsley and lemon juice.
• Combine eggs, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese in a large mixing bowl; beat well.
• Add vegetable mixture and salt and pepper to taste; stir until well blended.
• Sprinkle 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs over the bottom of a greased 10 inch springform pan.
• Pour vegetable mixture into pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Dredge plum tomato slices in remaining breadcrumbs. Garnish cheesecake with tomato slices and rolled anchovies, if desired.
• Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and bake 30 minutes.
• Turn off oven, and open door; let cheesecake cool in oven 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.

Cheesecake

Cheesecake

Graham cracker crumbs
24 ounces cream cheese
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

• Cream the cream cheese well.
• Beat 4 egg whites until stiff, adding 1 cup sugar slowly.
• Combine and add 1 tsp vanilla.
• Pour into well greased springform pan with graham cracker crumbs scattered in the bottom.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 (I mean it, 25) minutes.
• Cool before removing.

IRISH CREAM AND CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

IRISH CREAM AND CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
Crust:
1 2/3 c Chocolate wafers; crushed
1/3 c Butter; melted
Filling:
2 pkg Gelatin, unflavored
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Coffee, instant
2 c Milk
4 Egg; separated
1/3 c Irish cream liqueur
1 lb Cream cheese
1/2 c Sugar
4 oz Chocolate, semi-sweet

• Crust: In bowl, combine wafers and butter.
• Press into 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.
• Refrigerate.
• Filling: In saucepan, cook gelatin, salt, coffee and milk, stirring constantly, over medium heat until hot and coffee is dissolved.
• Reduce heat.
• Stir a little coffee mixture into egg yolks, then pour egg mixture back into saucepan.
• Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add liqueur.
• Using an electric mixer or food processor, blend cream cheese and 1/4 cup of the sugar until smooth.
• Slowly blend coffee mixture into cream cheese.
• Chill, stirring occasionally, until consistency of raw egg whites, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate in double boiler over hot water.
• Let cool.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold egg whites into coffee mixture.
• Transfer 1-1/2 cups of coffee mixture to small bowl and fold in chocolate.
• Using large spoon, alternately spoon two mixtures over chocolate crust.
• Use knife to swirl chocolate through coffee mixture.
• Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours.
• Serves 12.

CARROT and RAISIN CHEESECAKE

CARROT and RAISIN CHEESECAKE
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter or margarine -- melted
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese -- softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
4 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup finely shredded carrots
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons orange juice
Dash salt
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup raisins

• Combine crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and 3 tablespoons butter; press onto the bottom of 9-inch spring form pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees F. for 10 minutes.
• Combine 2-1/2 packages softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup flour, mixing with electric mixer until well blended.
• Blend in eggs and 1/4 cup orange juice.
• Add remaining flour, carrots, 1/4 cup raisins, nutmeg and ginger; mix well.
• Pour over crust.
• Bake at 450 degrees F. for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 250 degrees F. and continue baking for 55 minutes.
• Loosen cake from rim of pan.
• Cool; remove rim.
• Combine remaining softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons orange juice, and salt, mixing until well blended.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, mixing well after each addition.
• Pour over cheesecake.
• Garnish with raisins.
• Yield 12 servings.